Venture Entrepreneur Teaches Students They're innovative, too

In January, upper school students had the pleasure of hearing from community member and Program Director of Blue Morning, Beth Johnson. Johnson’s talk followed guest David Richards' talk about the importance of working as a collective to address needs in the community and beyond.

Johnson’s assembly took a step back and examined what it means to have an entrepreneurial mindset. She asked students to consider their own interests and begin to cultivate a problem-solving mindset. She stressed the importance of identifying problems but also being able to brainstorm solutions.

“Johnson took special care to demystifying and debunk the image pop cultures gives us of an entrepreneur,” Technology Integration Specialist Ashley King said. “She helped replace people like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos with everyday people in our mind. An entrepreneur is a person with the right qualities, characteristics and work ethic. That’s it!”

Johnson says it best: “It only takes one idea and knowing who needs to be involved in that idea to solve problems,” Johnson says. “But if you have a great idea and big vision and it’s not working out, it’s okay to change course and be flexible.”

Ultimately, the Digital Engagement Initiative (spearheaded by Director of Instructional Technology and Communication Arts Charlene Loope and King) wants students to see themselves as entrepreneurial problem-solvers and be able to act on those attributes.

If you want to check out other, entrepreneurial projects from Johnson and Blue Morning, click below: